ABSTRACT
Digital storytelling techniques can make an otherwise dry or difficult subject come alive and can make material that is otherwise dry engaging to users. The combination of information and entertainment gives us another genre of “-tainment” programming—infotainment—a blending of information and entertainment, much as edutainment is a blending of education and entertainment. Edutainment titles like the Jump Start line offer a great deal of repetitive practice, and the genre of game often goes by the name of “drill and kill.” Educational video games and gamification are just two of the many approaches utilized to create projects in which teaching goals and entertainment goals are both successfully met. The great advantage of using digital platforms for teaching is that they are interactive. Interactivity promotes active learning, which is also known as experiential learning. In children’s educational games, rewards are especially important in holding the players’ attention.
